Judge Throws Out Racial Discrimination Claims Against Paula Deen

A federal judge in Georgia has just thrown out the claims of racial discrimination filed as part of a $1.2 million lawsuit against gooey butter cake Paula Deen by former employee Lisa Jackson. Good thing they nipped that one in the bud before it exploded into the sky like a magnificent fireball, melting the sugar-windows, liquifying the gumdrop roads, and incinerating the gingerbread infrastructure of Paula Deen's candy kingdom.

In her initial filing, which alleged that Deen and her brother, Bubba Hiers, had created an environment of sexual and racial discrimination in the workplace, Jackson (a white woman) said that "derogatory remarks regarding African-Americans are even more personally offensive to [her] than they would be to another white citizen," because she had two part-African American biracial nieces. (In addition to the much-publicized accusations of racially-charged language, Jackson alleged that African American employees were not permitted to use the same entrances and bathrooms as white employees.)

In June of this year, lawyers for Deen argued that Jackson had only one niece (through her partner) who was part Hispanic, and argued that Jackson lacked "standing pursue race-based claims of discrimination."

Now, one infamous slur-peppered deposition, an obliterated TV career, a cancelled book deal, and two Paula-themed cruises that, by God, are going to happen come hell or high water later, a judge has dismissed the race-based claims from the lawsuit.

The claims of sexual discrimination (Jackson says Hiers occasionally viewed and distributed pornographic materials in the workplace, and that Paula Deen once said, "If you think I have worked this hard to lose everything because of a piece of pussy, you better think again"), as well as violence and harassment still stand.

[Image via Getty]

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I want to make sure I have this straight, in case I get in an argument over this: this decision isn't saying Deen never did the shit in the deposition, it's just saying the plaintiff doesn't personally have standing to claim racial discrimination?

Yep. Basically: Even if the racial discrimination was real, she wasn't a victim of it.

Yes, here's part of the judge's statement (courtesy of NBC)

"While Plaintiff may have faced significant challenges in managing a workplace allegedly permeated with racial discrimination, her difficulties do not fall within the zone of interests sought to be protected by Title VII [of the Civil Rights Act of 1964] and cannot support a claim for racial discrimination under that stature."

Will be interesting to see if a black employee comes forward with the same claims, especially in light of that too-much-baggage-to-fit-in-the-overhead-compartment Times piece.